"A stool and a squealer!" Barney fairly hurled at Larry these two most
despised epithets of his world. "You've done your job swell as a
stool, and squealed on Red Hannigan and Jack Rosenfeldt and turned
them up for the police!"
"You believe I had anything to do with their arrest?" exclaimed Larry.
Barney laughed in his derision.
"Of course we believe it," put in Old Jimmie, his seamed, cunning face
now ruthlessly hard. "And what's more, we know it!"
"And what's still more," Barney taunted, "Maggie believes it, too!"
Larry turned to Maggie. Her face was now drawn, with staring eyes.
"Maggie--do you believe it?" he demanded.
For a moment she neither spoke nor moved. Then slowly she nodded.
"But, Maggie," he protested, "I didn't do it! Barlow did ask me to be
a stool, but I turned him down! Aside from that, I know no more of
this than you do!"
"Of course you'd deny it--we were waiting for that," sneered Barney.
"Jimmie, we've wasted enough time here. Take Maggie's bag and let's be
moving on."
Old Jimmie picked up Maggie's suitcase, and slipping a hand through
her arm led her across the room. She did not even say good-bye to Hunt
or the Duchess, or even glance at them; but went out silently, her
drawn, staring look on Larry alone.
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